According to Captain Sakhawat Hossain, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers Association, the Bangladeshi vessel MV Abdullah was taken over by Somali pirates on Thursday at 2:00 pm as it was anchored off the coast of Garakad, close to Hobyo harbor in Somalia. The vessel had 23 crew members on board.
He said that the pirates have not yet gotten in touch with the owners of the MV Abdullah, which is flagged by Bangladesh, and they have not demanded a ransom.
Journalists were informed by Mizanul Islam, KSRM’s media advisor, that the ship’s owner is in communication with a third-party insurance provider in order to retrieve the hostage sailors together with the vessel.
Mizanul Islam said the sailors of the ship are in good health.
“All efforts are being made to bring back the hostages. The pirates are yet to make any demand to us so far. After taking the ship to a safe zone they many ask for ransom,” Mizanul Islam said.
On Tuesday, the pirates seized over the ship. At midday, the ship was transporting coal from the port of Maputo, Mozambique, to the port of Al Hamriyah in the United Arab Emirates.
The Chattogram-based Kabir Steel and Rerolling Mill (KSRM) Group’s sibling firm, SR Shipping Lines, is the owner of the MV Abdullah.
